In Stamford the procession looped around High Street and through the market in Broad Street before coming to an end at the bottom of Ironmonger Street. Clive Hankers portrayed Jesus as a modern-day prisoner in an orange boiler suit, complete with a crown of thorns.

The Rev Andy Fyall, superintendent minister at Stamford Methodist Church, said it was important to bring the Easter story out to the public.

“We come out of our churches to be where the people are,” he said. “That’s where the church should now be.”

“One of the significant things for me was seeing the stallholders and other people around us. It does resonate with how it would have been in Jerusalem.”

The Walk of Witness through Oakham on Good Friday (April 3, 2015)'Photo: Alan Walters EMN-150304-150203001

Rev Fyall also noticed the number of people photographing and filming the procession on their mobile phones. He said: “What’s relatively small in numbers will soon go viral.”

Processions also took place in Bourne and Oakham. Pick up next week’s paper for a full report and pictures.